About Us

5th Coleraine Company History

• 5th Coleraine Boys Brigade company was founded in 1984 in Terrrace Row Presbyterian Church, Coleraine.
• The Founding Officers were, Rev David Clarke, Mr Brian Kirkland, Mrs Margaret Calvin, Mrs Jean Hempsey and Mr Robert Campbell. Only Mrs Jean Hempsey and Rev David Clarke are still officers in the Company.
• The First Captain of the of the Company was Mr Brian Kirkland. He retired in 1987 and was replaced by Tom Gilliland. In 2003, Tom stood down as Captain and was replaced by our current Captain Billy Gilmore.
• The Company was the last of the Coleraine Companies founded but in the short years of its exsistence has become the largest Company in the area, now having aprroximately 100 over the three sections.

 

Boys Brigade-UK History

• The Boys Brigade was first founded in October 1883 in Glasgow by William Alexander Smith, later to receive the title of 'Sir' William.
• The first meeting of the 1st Glasgow Company was on the 4th October 1883. The first Company founded in then Ireland was the 1st Belfast Company in 1888 with 1st Dublin, in 1890, being the first Company founded in what is now known as Republic of Ireland.
• The Boys Brigade mostly spread throughout the United Kingdom but Companies were set up in Canada, the U.S.A, and Austrailia with a noteable growth in Nigeria.
• The First Boys Brigade President was James Carfrae Alston with Sir William Alexander Smith becoming the First Boys Brigade Sectretary. The Current Brigade President and Secretary are John Neil OBE and Steven Dickinson respectively.

For more information on the Boys Brigade click the link below

Boys Brigade Official Website